Printed checklists have been used extensively in many fields to ensure the safe and consistent operation of sophisticated equipment and systems. For example, during an operation or other medical procedure, a medical specialist must often follow certain instructions in a predetermined manner to enhance the efficacy of a given procedure. Moreover, during the procedure it is often necessary to produce a contemporaneous or "real-time" record associated therewith to verify the operator's diligence during the procedure. Such records can be of critical evidentiary significance should a question arise concerning the proper performance of the procedure.
Misuse of a checklist can have far-reaching consequences. In the medical application, such misuse can create tremendous risks to the patient undergoing the procedure and, of course, increase the attendant liability of the physician. Thus, there is a great need for a checklist management system which is portable and easy to use, which allows the operator to focus on the procedures being implemented rather than on the checklist, which prevents the accidental omission of checklist items, and which enables the operator to produce a contemporaneous record verifying compliance with the checklist.